. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/USA/1668 
13 August 2007  
 (07-3391) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  UNITED STATES
  
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:  US Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numb er(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Prohibition of the use of specified risk material for human food. 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable :  
Domestic United States and countries  exporting to the United States 
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Prohibition of the Use of 
Specified Risk Materials for Human Food and Requirements for the Disposition of Non-
Ambulatory Disabled Cattle;  Prohibition of the Use of Certain Stunning Devices Used To 
Immobilize Cattle During Sl aughter; Rule (available in English, 31 pages) 
6. Description of content:  The Food Safety and Inspection Serv ice (FSIS) is affirming, with 
changes, the interim final rule "Prohibition of the Use of Specified Risk Materials for Human 
Food and Requirements for the Disposition of  Non-Ambulatory Cattle", which was published 
in the Federal Register on 12 January 2004.  The Agency is also affirming the interim final 
rule "Prohibition of the Use of Certain Stunni ng Devices Used to I mmobilize Cattle During 
Slaughter", also published on 12 January 2004.  FSIS issued these interim final rules in 
response to the confirmation on 23 December 2003 of bovine spongiform encephalopathy 
(BSE) in an imported dairy cow in Washington State. FSIS is taking this action to make 
permanent interim measures implemented by the Agency to minimize human exposure to 
cattle materials that could potentially contain the BSE agent.  
7. Objective and rationale:  [ X ] food safety, [   ] animal health,  [   ] plant protection, 
[ X ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease,  [   ] protect territory from other 
damage from pests    
8. International standard, guideline or recommendation:  
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [ X ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention, [   ] None  
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:    
9. Relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:   F e d e r a l  R e g i s t e r :  
13 July 2007, [(Volume 72, Number 134)] [Rules and Regulations] [Page 38699-38730], 
available in English at:  http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OP PDE/rdad/FRPubs/03-025F.htm  G/SPS/N/USA/1668 
Page 2  
 
  10. Proposed date of adoption:  1 October 2007   
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  Per Interim Final Rules dated 12 January 2004. 
12. Final date for comments:  11 September 2007 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification 
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or  address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:  Food Safety and Inspection Service 
Federal eRulemaking Portal:  This Website pr ovides the ability to type short comments 
directly into the comment field on this Web page or attach a file for lengthier comments.  Go 
to http://www.regulations.gov.   Follow the online instructions at that site for submitting 
comments;  E-mail: fsis.reg ulationscomments@fsis.usda.gov 
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notificati on authority, [   ] Na tional enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: 
United States SPS National Notification Aut hority, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, 
International Regulations and Standards Di vision (IRSD), Stop 1027, Washington, D.C. 
20250;  Tel:  +(1 202) 720 1301;  Fax:  +(1 (202) 690 0677;  E-mail:  
us.spsenquirypoint@fas.usda.gov